Choki Motobu

Choki Motobu

Choki Motobu was born in Shuri, the capital of Okinawa, in 1871. He was born into a high ranking family at a time when education and privilege were reserved for the first born son. As a third son, he was rather neglected and many of Okinawa's Karate Sensei's refused to teach him because of his reputation as a street fighter. Nevertheless he was able to get instruction from several leading experts. Motobu studied karate with the famous Ankoh Itosu (1830-1915), the leading master of Shuri-te. He later studied with Tomari-te's Kosaku Matsumora (1829-1898). Motobu went to Japan in 1921, where Yasuhiro Konishi became his chief instructor. Motobu returned to Okinawa in 1940. As Legend States: One day while in Kyoto he witnessed a contest where people were asked to match skills with a Russian boxer. For two rounds Motobu avoided the boxer¹s attacks. In the third round he had enough. He used a practiced technique and promptly knocked the boxer out. The crowd was quite taken aback. They had never seen this kind of fighting. He was hailed as the greatest fighter in Japan. Many sensei advised their students to go and train with Motobu and learn his kumite techniques ( for obvious reasons). Motobu usually only taught naihanchi kata to his students, his own version with many grappling and throwing techniques. However, it was his kumite that had the greatest impact on karate. Oddly enough, there is a story of Choki challenged his brother Choyu to a fight. It is said that Choyu threw Choki around like a rag doll. After the experience, Choki is said to have humbled himself and adopted more of his family¹s Ti forms. Filled with a new outlook on his life, Master Motobu returned to Okinawa around 1936 and began training with Master Kentsu Yabu the only man to have ever defeated Master Motobu. Motobu died in Okinawa in 1944 at the age of 73.